Part 368 (1/2)

88:52. Wherewith thy enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the change of thy anointed.

88:53. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. So be it. So be it.

Psalms Chapter 89

Domine, refugium.

A prayer for the mercy of G.o.d: recounting the shortness and miseries of the days of man.

89:1. A prayer of Moses the man of G.o.d. Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.

89:2. Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art G.o.d.

89:3. Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

Turn not man away, etc... Suffer him not quite to perish from thee, since thou art pleased to call upon him to be converted to thee.

89:4. For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past.

And as a watch in the night,

89:5. Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

89:6. In the morning man shall grow up like gra.s.s; in the morning he shall flourish and pa.s.s away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

89:7. For in thy wrath we have fainted away: and are troubled in thy indignation.

89:8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thy eyes: our life in the light of thy countenance.

89:9. For all our days are spent; and in thy wrath we have fainted away.

Our years shall be considered as a spider:

As a spider... As frail and weak as a spider's web; and miserable withal, whilst like a spider we spend our bowels in weaving webs to catch flies.

89:10. The days of our years in them are threescore and ten years. But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow. For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.

Mildness is come upon us, etc... G.o.d's mildness corrects us; inasmuch as he deals kindly with us, in shortening the days of this miserable life; and so weaning our affections from all its transitory enjoyments, and teaching us true wisdom.

89:11. Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear

89:12. Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.

89:13. Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

89:14. We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.

89:15. We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us: for the years in which we have seen evils.

89:16. Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children.